Barbara  Bower

In 2004, at the age of 66, Barbara Bower won the 1,500-meter freestyle race for women at the United States Masters Swimming Long Course National Championships.

Barbara is a 67-year-old great grandmother who has made quite a splash in recent years. Not content to merely dominate others swimming in her age bracket, Barbara wins in record time.

She currently holds 17 Southern Masters records in the 65-69 age group. Demonstrating both speed and endurance, she followed up her 2004 performance at the Masters Swimming National Championships by winning the 200-yard freestyle and the 1650–meter freestyle this year.

Barbara shatters the myth that people slow down as they age. Life experience often leads to our greatest success. Barbara is living proof. Since turning 65, she has set five records that are faster than the records she set in earlier competitions. Of her 17 current Southern Masters records, she has broken most of them more than once as she continues to improve.

Years of dedication to improving her swimming technique and continually striving to surpass her own records have enabled Barbara to achieve national recognition and inspire others to greatness.

Barbara shares her love for swimming by teaching and motivating others of all ages. From an annual swimmers camp to a local group with an average age over 70 — she inspires them all to achieve their best. They meet three times a week at 5 a.m. and train with weights and long-distance swims.

As an athlete and a teacher, Barbara demonstrates that with perseverance there are no limits to what we can achieve. Building on a lifetime of determination and dedication, Barbara is recognized nationally as a championship swimmer and locally as a role model. She proves that our experience can lead us to unprecedented excellence.

Barbara Bower… Tenet Choices Champion.